It's a shocking fact, but almost one in four children start school with tooth decay. On average, five-year-olds have tooth decay in three to four teeth.

However, the situation is set to change across the country thanks to an innovative campaign led by the British Society of Dental Hygiene and Therapy (BSDHT).

On Friday, 15 June the BSDHT will run First Smiles 2018. Sponsored by Brushlink, First Smiles aims to encourage local dental teams to engage with their communities in nurseries, schools and their own dental practices, to raise the importance of oral health in the younger generation.

Annette Matthews, Social Media Coordinator from the BSDHT, commented: 'We are laying down the gauntlet to dental care professionals to go into their local schools and nurseries and deliver the good oral care message. The aim is to teach as many young people as possible (and their parents, guardians and teachers) how to better care for their dental health and general wellbeing.'

First Smiles 2018 has six key aims:

  • Building essential relationships between nurseries, schools and their local dental practices

  • Educating children and those around them on the fundamental aspects of good oral health

  • Improving the oral hygiene habits of children across the UK

  • Making children feel more comfortable about visiting their dentist

  • Integrating oral hygiene within health education in schools

  • Tackling the worrying rise in tooth decay and extractions among children in the UK.

Information for dental practices, nurseries and schools about how they could get involved in First Smiles 2018 are available via this link – http://www.bsdht.org.uk/firstsmiles.